Sebo Automatic X7 Premium Vacuum Cleaner Review

This vacuum is part floor cleaner, part air purifier

When it comes to vacuum cleaners, you probably know the big names like Dyson, Miele, Hoover, and Bissell. Sebo is more of a niche brand and a specialized tool. For example, the Sebo Automatic X7 Premium(available at Amazon for $949.00) is a vacuum cleaner, but it also has three layers of filtration, including an electrostatic filter that removes odor. People who suffer from allergies, and who want to create a sanctuary within their own home, will want to check out what Sebo has to offer. If the price is putting you off, we've got the skinny on the best affordable uprights as well.

As a vacuum cleaner, the X7 offers some of the most comprehensive filtration we’ve ever seen. However, its dirt pickup performance lags behind other vacuums in its price range. It also lacks the easy of movement many vacuums provide, even at lower price points.

What we like

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The S-class filtration on the X7 is hospital grade

It features an impressive amount of filtration

The X7 we tested had three levels of filtration—the first was a pre-motor S-class filter. This specialized filter is designed to remove 99.9% of particulate matter larger than 0.3 microns. To put that perspective, the thickness of a human hair is about 100 microns.

The bag inside the body also acts as a filter, and it’s up to HEPA standards, meaning it can remove 99.97% of practices that are at least 0.3 microns big. Finally, there is an exhauster filter, similar to what you’d find on other high-end vacuums. When you combine all three, you get a level of filtration similar to what you’d find at hospitals.

It has a low profile

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The X7 has a low profile that allows it to get under furniture.

In the lab, we have what we affectionately call the “limbo test.” It’s just a wooden dowel with an adjustable height, but it can help show how a vacuum might maneuver around furniture in your home.

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With 2 inches of clearance, the X7 can reach 5 inches in, meaning it can thoroughly clean under toe-kicks. And it only takes 6 inches of clearance to fit the entire vacuum body underneath. Dust bunnies hiding under tall couches and beds won’t stand a chance.

What we don’t like

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Lacking a swivel joint, it's tough to turn corners with the X7.

Suction performance is weak for the price

A major component of our testing involves covering carpet in a special dirt mixture. The X7 picked up about 39% of our testing dirt per pass. That’s much higher than your typical $50 throwaway vacuum, but it’s about half of what our top-rated vacuum, the Miele U1 Cat & Dog, picked up. The X7 is one of the more expensive options on the market, so we expected a better performance.

Poor turning

It’s common for most upright vacuums now to have a swiveling joint near the brush head to allow the unit to turn corners easily. The X7 doesn’t, so it’s quite a chore to weave around furniture. While the motor is engaged, it goes forward and backward fine, but turning a tight corner with its 17-pound bulk can be challenging.

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What are users saying?

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The X7 has 40 feet of cleaning range.

There are very few reviews for the Sebo Automatic X7 Premium online because of how expensive and specialized it is. Of the 81 reviews that we found, users give it an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5.

Should you buy this vacuum?

Unless you’re sold on the filtration prowess, probably not. The Sebo Automatic X7 Premium promises high levels of filtration and powerful suction, but its cost makes its cleaning performance fall short.

While our carpet cleaning tests show that it can’t hang with top-shelf vacuums, it provides special features that others don’t. People who suffer from strong allergies or asthma could consider it, but for the rest of us, there are more powerful vacuum cleaners out there for the same price.

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Meet the tester

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

Checking our work.

We use standardized and scientific testing methods to scrutinize every product and provide you with objectively accurate results. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. If it looks substantial, we’ll gladly re-test a product to try and reproduce these results. After all, peer reviews are a critical part of any scientific process.